Known as the Northeast’s premier music, arts and camping festival, the 17th annual Gathering of the Vibes will deliver a four-day extravaganza featuring a stellar lineup including: Primus, Phil Lesh & Friends, Bob Weir & Bruce Hornsby with Special Guest Branford Marsalis, Mickey Hart Band, Sound Tribe Sector 9, The Avett Brothers, along with Yonder Mountain String Band, 7 Walkers, The Greyboy Allstars, and Steel Pulse. Vibes favorites Dark Star Orchestra, Zappa Plays Zappa, and Bridgeport’s own Deep Banana Blackout will return to the stage in 2012. Over 40 bands will perform on multiple stages located throughout the 370-acre beachfront venue. While Early Bird tickets have sold out, Way Advance ticket pricing has been extended as a token of thanks to the “Vibe Tribe” for their neverending love of great music and good times.

“The Vibes is a seminal gathering of the tribes, and should be supported by those who spawned it,” shared Mickey Hart, founding member of The Grateful Dead.

Continuing its tradition of embracing new, undiscovered artists, Vibes is letting its 130,000 Facebook fans select one up-and-coming band to perform in front of 20,000+ music enthusiasts. Fans are encouraged to vote by June 1st using the Road to the Vibes App and the winner will be announced in early June.

“Gathering of the Vibes celebrates the way music allows us to share that which goes beyond words,” explained festival founder Ken Hays. “Right now there’s a convergence of jam bands, electronica, and rock and roll - bridging the generations and truly making this a festival with something for everyone.”

Gathering of the Vibes is an all ages, family friendly event, offering an exclusive Family Camping area, Kids Corner, Teen Scene including interactive programing and a “School of Rock Teen Vibes Stage,” featuring musical instruction and jam sessions with Main Stage artists.

Single day and Weekend VIP ticket holders enjoy added perks: expedited entry and rock-star parking with easy in/out access, shaded camping areas along with catered meals, snacks and beverages, air conditioned bathroom trailers, and hot showers. Located stage left on the concert field, the massive VIP hospitality tent and viewing platforms offer exceptional stage sightlines and the opportunity to mix and mingle with artists. Single Day, Weekend, and VIP tickets are on sale now at: www.GOVIBES.com.

Seaside Park is easily accessible by public transportation and just 50 miles from Manhattan. Fans traveling from NYC can take Metro North or the Port Jefferson Ferry. Shuttle bus service will transport festival attendees to and from the venue, local area hotels, the ferry, train and bus stations. Discounted hotel accommodations at Vibes preferred hotels are available here.

When an artist sets paint to canvas, there are brush strokes used for different
effects. Sometimes those strokes are subtle, imperceptible; they produce works
of art like the Mona Lisa. Other times the very obvious nature of the stroke
is the art, as in works by Van Gogh. With some composers of music, the notes
on the page are their craft. How those notes translate into an aural experience
is what defines some composers as great artists. Brian Ferneyhough has a masterful command of the techniques of putting notes
on the page. These techniques are sometimes so subtle, even though written in
black and white, they escape detection. Some of what he attempts with his music
is just that, to escape detection, to bury the framework, diverting the ear
away from the structure, so only the music is heard. The subtlety is so fine
it is almost imperceptible. Even though he studied at several institutions, he is considered self-taught,
studying scores from Boulez, …

There are numerous books on the topic, and every composer, librettist, director, singer and audience member has their opinion as to what role the music should play in an opera. In a play without music, the words ought to support the meaning behind a character's actions. However, in the case of action movies, often times the action is what tells the story and there aren't words, just images to forward the plot. We might hear music to accompany action, build tension, but the action tells the story. Musicals tend to speak until the emotion of the moment just "has" to break out in song - unless it's something like "Mama Mia" where the dialog is the rails we travel on between songs; the songs themselves, written before the concept of the musical, are the focus of the production, while the story is secondary.Operas are a different beast. The music provides emotion to the words spoken, but it also plays the role of ambience when there is only action. In "…